Hoover school board approves energy upgrade plan

Heat and air-conditioning controls will be upgraded throughout the Hoover school system over the next year or so after the school board last week approved spending $827,000 for the energy-saving project.

The upgrades are antici­pated to save $300,000 to $600,000 on energy costs each year, according to "conservative" estimates presented by Superinten­dent Andy Craig last week. Earlier projections by pro­ponents of the project had put the potential savings as high as $1.2 million per year.

The project was brought to the school board in Octo­ber, but board members held off a month on voting after a few residents ex­pressed concerns about spending so much money in difficult economic times.

In last week's meeting, Hoover resident Arnold Singer suggested the board approve upgrades in only the three least-energy-effi­cient schools, a move he said would produce big sav­ings at a much lower cost to the system.

Upgrades will enable workers to monitor and control heat and air func­tions across the district re­motely through an Internet­based system. School-based personnel will be able to ad­just room temperatures within a limited range.

Temperature settings could be scheduled in ad­vance so they are up and running during times the buildings are occupied, and schedules could be custom­ized for evening and week­end activities. Technicians could monitor operations remotely to identify chronic problems.

With so many variables and factors, the expected savings from the project is "a moving target," said Gary McBay, director of school services for Hoover City Schools. Some of the sav­ings will be determined, for example, by how the sys­tems are used once they are upgraded.

"We just won't know it 'til we get there," McBay said. Work is expected to be completed over the next 12 to 15 months. Energy sav­ings will begin incremen­tally as upgrades come on­line.

Three companies will have a share in the project: Alabama Controls, South­eastern Temperature Con­trols and Trace Controls. McBay said he hoped to meet with contractors this week.